Display-form for shoes



l (No Model.)

J. K.'GAINES. DISPLAY FORM FOR SHOES.

1Y0-550,498.. y Patented N0v.26,1895.

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH K. GAINES, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DISPLAY-FORM FOR SHOES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 550,498, dated November 26, 1895.

Application filed March 14, 1895.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH K. GAINES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Display-Forms for Shoes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My present invention relates to the class of display-forms and more particularly to a form for placing in shoes to keep the Vamps of the same expanded and exhibit the configuration of the same for display and other purposes.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown several forms in which I have contemplated embodying my invention, and my said invention is disclosed in the following description and claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal section of a shoe with one of my forms placed within it. Fig. 2 is a top or plan view of my improved shoe-form. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section, and Fig. 4 is a like transverse section of the same. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of a modified construction. Fig. 6 is a transverse vertical section of the form shown in Fig. 5, and Fig. 7 is a bottom plan view of another construction.

In drawing the leather of a shoe taut to show the configuration of the same it is only necessary to expand or distend the vamp or that portion of the shoe forward of the instep, as the counter is so lined and stiffened as to maintain the usual shape of the shoe. I have therefore constructed my form so as to lill or fit the forward part of the shoe only. In my preferred mode of constructing the form, which is shown in the first four figures of the drawings,the main and exterior portion of the form is a hollow body made of the configuration of the front part of a shoe. This body is made of felt, cloth, paper, or papiermache, or any other preferred material molded upon a last or other former of the proper size and shape. The felt, cloth, or paper is sized and molded to the proper shape while still moist and permitted to dry, so as to secure the desired configuration.

In order to secure the necessary tension upon the vamp to keep the leather taut and in order to adapt the form to shoes of different sizes and shapes, the molded material has the toe portion divided and a spring inserted between the two parts.

In the figures of the drawings A designates the shoe, and B my improved form. This form upon the upper side is cut to form the triangular opening Z), while the opening upon the lower side is preferably made more nearly a rectangle, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. The rear ends 5"()2 of the exterior body back of the lower opening extend inwardly and overlap each other, but are not connected and are free to move one over the other. At each side of the opening in the bottom of the form a block c, of wood or analogous material, is placed within the main body and the body is secured thereto by cement or glue or by short nails in the bottom, as shown in Figs. Il and 7 or in any other perferred manner. Between the blocks c and connecting them is placed the spring c. The form of the spring is immaterial. One or more spiral springs or a band-spring, as shown in Fig. 5, may be employed.

Screws c2 c2 may be inserted in the bottom of the form below the instep, so as to enable the form to be adjusted to the instep of the shoe. Vhen desired, the form may be pron vided with one or more vertical transverse cuts, as at d in Fig. 2, united at one side by a cloth or leather hinge to permit the form to accommodate itself to variations or irregularities of contour. The dotted line referred to in this instance shows a cut through the hollow body and the blocks to the outside, except that at the side enough of the material forming the hollow body is left to serve as a hinge. The spring will tend to keep the form in its normal shape, but permit it to yield when desired.

In Figs. 5 and 6 I have shown a form in which the blocks c c are omitted and a bandspring c3 riveted or otherwise secured to the sides of the form. In Fig. 7 I show another form in which there are two openings in the form at top and bottom, the openings retaining their relative shapes, those on the bottom having their sides substantially parallel, while those in the top of the form are triangular, asin the first construction described.

IOO

In constructing the form in this manner three pieces of wood c c c4 are required. I

I do not desire to be limited to the exact constructions shown and described, as the form might be made in such a manner as to vary the proportions or relations of parts without departing from the spirit or principle of my invention. For instance, the opening in the main body on the under side might be the same shape as in the top. This would permit the use of the form with shoes having differently-shaped toes, but would not enable it to be used with as great a variety of sizes as the constructions described. The main body might be made in two parts and connected only by the spring; but while this device would perform many of the ofices of the form described it would not in all respects be as satisfactory or durable. The main body is divided vertically, but the two parts are held in proper position to give the proper shape and form by uniting the upper side at the instep and by connecting the lower side by a spring located between the two parts forward of the instep and connecting the parts of the lower side of the form. The top connection at the instep and the spring connecting the lower parts of the form forward of the upper side connection combine to hold the two parts in the proper place and form desircd, but at the same time permits the requisite yielding-and expansion.

The use of the form will be easily understood from the foregoing description. The form is forced in as far as possible into the toe of the shoe. In doing this the sides of the form come into contact with the sides of the shoe and the spring is compressed. The tension of the spring forces the sides outward and the leather of the vamp or toe portion of the shoe is drawn taut and kept in shape by the main body of the form. If the form is found to be not of sufficient height, the screws c2 c2 are withdrawn to make the form hold the instep of the shoe in the position desired.

While the form is mainly desired for use in displaying shoes in shop windows and for like purposes, it can be used to keep shoes of patent and other line leathers in shape when not in use.

Vhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A display form for shoes consisting of a hollow main body divided vertically, the upper side of the form having its two parts united at the instep and the lower side connected by a spring interposed between the two lower parts of the form and connecting them, substantially as described.

2. A display form for shoes consisting of a hollow main body of the form of a shoe from the instep to the toe, said main body being divided vertically but having the two parts of its upper side united near the instep, and the two parts of the lower side united forward of the instep by a spring interposed between the two parts of the body and connecting them, substantially as described.

3. A display form. for shoes consisting of a hollow main body divided vertically, having a triangular opening on its upper side and an opening of approximately uniform width in its lower side and a spring interposed between the divided portions of the form connecting said portions, substantially as described.

4. The combination with the hollow main body having its bottom divided and the opposing parts entirely disconnected and the top also divided, of wooden blocks adjacent to the shoe engaging sides and spring means connected with said blocks for forcing the sides outwardly, substantially as described.

5. The combination with the main body divided vertically but having the two parts united at the instep on the upper side, the two parts being entirely separated on the lower side of two instep adjusting screws one for each part of the lower side, substantially as described.

6. A shoe display form having a divided toe portion and an expansion spring, the same being provided with transverse cuts in a vertical direction to permit the form to yield transversely, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH K. GAINES.

Titnesses MATTHEW ANDERsoN, HOWARD XV. GAINEs. 

